The art of massage has been used to relieve stress and physical ailments for thousands of years. Although massage often focuses on the muscles and tendons of a person's back and neck, just about every part of the human body can benefit from some form of massage. In particular, regular physical stimulation of the head and scalp can provide not only psychological therapy, but also increased productivity of sebaceous glands and hair follicles, resulting in a healthier scalp and improved hair quality and appearance. However, it can be tiresome and difficult to massage one's own scalp, especially for people who have arthritis or other conditions that prevent prolonged use of the hands. Moreover, excess oils and dirt can be transferred from a person's hands to their own scalp or that of another person. In addition, since the skin on a person's head is tightly drawn, in contrast with most other parts of the body, it can be difficult to stimulate and squeeze the sebaceous glands with conventional massage methods and devices.
Currently, there are several products on the market intended to eliminate the need for direct hand-to-scalp contact when performing massage. However, these devices only glide over the scalp or apply light pressure at certain points, and are thus useful only when a calming effect is desired. For example, the Head Trip Therapeutic Massager from The Happy Company has multiple long metal prongs, the tips of which a user places on her head and lowers and raises to rub against the scalp. While this device may provide an enjoyable sensation for some, it can also be bothersome or inadequate for people looking for more of a rubbing and/or pinching massage. This type of device can also be difficult to use; since its handle is a great distance away from the prong tips, a user must reach high above her head in order to operate the device. Moreover, the prong tips have very little surface area, resulting in little contact with the scalp and inadequate stimulation of the sebaceous glands and/or hair follicles.
What is needed is a hand-held device that can be used on one's own scalp or that of another person, which can both provide mental relaxation and promote healthy oil production from the sebaceous glands of one's scalp through gentle squeezing of the skin. The device should be designed to gently tug at or pinch the tightly drawn skin on a person's head without causing pain or discomfort. The device should also be easy to use and clean, lightweight, and portable.